Vegetation, snow, and ice destroyer



Filed Dec. 30, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet Zaig Qwweml'oz ailio'wcq a,

E. G. LANG 1,709,270

VEGETATION, SNOW, AND ICE DESTROYER FiledDec/30, 1925 2 Sheets-Shee 2April 16, 1929.

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Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

uniren sra'rss EDvVAR-D GUS LANG, G1" FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

VEGETATIOIT, SNOW, AND ICE DESTROYER.

Application filed December This invention relates to a device fordestroying vegetation on electric and steam railway tracks or other suchplaces as it may be practical to transport same over, and aims toprovide a device especially designed for attachment to railway rollingstock, motor trucks, trailers or tractors.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwherein the flames from the burners will not come in direct contact withthe vegetation, but the heat from the burners will be so oirected to thevegetation that it will be scorched and withered to prevent its growth.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which will operate efliciently as a snow and ice remover,thereby eliminating the use of plows or the like for removing snow andice from tracks or streets.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which may be readily and easily installed on a car, obviatingthe necessity of making extensive alterations in the car structure tomount the same.

lVit-h the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention-resides in the combinatien andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing froin the spirit of theinvention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View illustrating a device constructedin accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through one of the furnacesforming a part of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the device includes a supportingframe embody ing bars 6 which are hung from a beam of a car, which inthe present showing is indicated at 7, by means of the links 8.

At the ends of bars 6 are arranged curved supporting arms 9 that havetheir lower ends connected with the rods 10 which extend transverselyacross the device and have connection with the vertical supporting arms11 so, 1925. Serial No. vanes.

which are arranged in pairs at opposite sides of the device.

Supported by the frame are furnaces 12 each of which includes a bodyportion formed of fire brick 13, an outer casing 14 and an insulatingmaterial 15 disposed between the casing 14, and fire brick l3.

Rods 10 are also disposed throughout the lengths of the furnaces asshown by Figure 2, and pass through the angle bars 18 and through thedischarge pipes 19, the rods berelatively long to also provide means forconnecting several furnaces and supporting them, as shown by FigureDisposed centrally of each furnace and arranged as a part of the bottomthereof, is a plate 16 which is formed with downwardly extended flanges16 that are slightly curved to conform to the shape of the dischargepipes 19, which are shown as supported thereby. Angle bars 18 aresecured adjacent to the outer lower edges of the furnace and contactwith the outer surfaces of the furnaces to hold the heating tubes at theouter sine edges thereo".

Openings 20 are provided in the heating tubes and are adapted to permitthe hot air to pass from the tubes and be forced againstthe snow, ice,or ve 'etation to be destroyed.

Fire bricks indicated at 21 are positioned on the lower wall 16 whilethe fire bricks 22 are positioned on the upper portions of the heatingtubes 19 so that the tubes which are formed preferably of metal, will ieprot acted against the direct heat from the flames of the burners.

The burners are indicated at 23 and extend into the ends of thefurnaces, there being provided narrow vertical walls 2st arrangedadjacent to the end walls 25 of the furnaces, the upper ends of thewalls 24- heing spaced from the top of the furnaces. These walls 9i arehowever, sufficiently high to extend above the burners and protect thepipes from the direct heat of the. burners.

Located intermediate the ends of each of the furnaces is a verticalpartitioning wall 26 which divides the furnace into compartments asshown by Figure 2.

Pipes indicated at 27 are arranged in each of the compartments definedby the partitioning wall 26, which pipes have communication with pipes28 that in turn communicate with the laterally extended pipes 29designed to supply heated air to the discharge pipes 19,

as clearly shown by Figure 3 of the drawings.

Disposed above each pipe 28 and extending thereinto, is an air or steamsupply pipe 30, which air or steam pipes communicate with the coils 31associated therewith, which coils rest on the lower wall 01": thefurnace in such a way that they will be heated, heating the air passingtherethrough. Thus it will be seen that due to this construction, heatedair and gases will be supplied to the discharge pipes where the air andgases are further heated by their contact with the tubes.

As illustrated by Figure 2, pipes 27 are open at one of their respectiveends so that as air is directed to the pipes 28 by the pipes 30, asuction will be created atthe ends of pipes 27, and hot air drawn intothe pipes 27 to be supplied to the discharge pipes.

Air is supplied to the coils 31 through pipes 32 which communicate witha suitable source of compressed air supply, through the pipes 33, therebeing provided valve members 34:

and 35 for controlling the passage of air through the pipes.

25 In the operation of the device, the burners are lighted, the heatfrom the burners producing heat in the furnaces, which in turn isdirected to the snow, ice or vegetation on the railway track over ing,to the end that the snow, and ice will be melted and all vegetation willbe scorched and destroyed.

I claim:

A device for destroying vegetation along a railway track, including anelongated body portion, horizontal pipes supported within the bodyportion, discharge pipes extending along the bottom of the body portion,pipes for establishing communication between the first mentioned pipesand discharge pipes to direct hot air and gases to the discharge pipes,said discharge pipes having a plurality of discharge openings to directheated air and gases to vegetation over which the device is moved, thefirst mentioned pipes having open ends to allow air to enter the pipes,and burners'for heating air in the body portion.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature.

EDWARD GUS LANG.

which the device is mov-V

